Rolex Yacht Master II Guide: Every Variant Explained

The original Rolex Yacht-Master II is probably the most hated-on Rolex in history. With a hulking 44mm diameter and its name proudly written in capital letters on the bezel, it has been the target of plenty of playful derision since its debut in 2007. But beneath its polarizing exterior was one of Rolex’s most impressive movements ever, featuring a countdown “regatta timer” that makes the watch (technically) a chronograph. It was discontinued in 2024, but it returned in 2026 with a more streamlined layout. Here’s everything a collector should know about the Rolex Yacht-Master II.

Except for the white gold version, which has a platinum bezel, every Yacht-Master II has a blue ceramic bezel insert. A Triplock Crown and 100m depth rating ensure that the wearer doesn’t need to stress about water ingress. There’s only one dial color–if you want a Yacht-Master II, you’re getting a white dial with red and blue accents. The focus of the watch is a 10-0 scale for its regatta timer feature; originally it was duplicated prominently on the dial and bezel while the second-generation model more subtly locates it on the rehaut.

The reason for the 10-minute scale on the Rolex Yacht-Master II is because of how regattas (sailing races) work. In these events, yachts do not have fixed starting positions and cannot remain stationary in open water. Instead, they maneuver strategically during the pre-start phase to cross the starting line at max speed when the race begins. There is always a signal given exactly 10 minutes before the race starts, so that’s when you’d start the timer on your YM2. Before we get into the details of using the regatta timer, let’s go over a timeline of the YM2’s evolution.

Rolex Yacht-Master II Timeline

The case shape and Oyster bracelet (with Easylink clasp) have never changed. But the hands were updated twice during the first-generation YM2’s run, and the dial and movement were each tweaked once. Plus, not every metal configuration was available at first:

• 2007: Rolex Yacht-Master II launched in yellow gold (Ref. 116688) and white gold with a platinum bezel (Ref. 116689). Both have matching gold stick hands.
• 2009: Blued stick hands replace the early yellow gold and white gold ones.
• 2011: Two-tone Everose Rolesor model (Ref. 116681) introduced.
• 2013: Stainless steel version (Ref. 116680) released as Caliber 4161 repleaces 4160.
• 2017: Updated with Mercedes hands and new hour markers (triangle at 12, rectangle at 6).
• 2022: White gold/platinum model (Ref. 116689) discontinued.
• 2024: Entire Yacht-Master II collection discontinued.
• 2026: 2nd-generation Yacht-Master II debuts in both steel (Ref. 126680) and yellow gold (Ref. 126688).

How to Use the Regatta Timer on a 1st-Gen Rolex Yacht-Master II

Although watch nerds have been known to snark about Rolex’s lack of complicated watches, the original Yacht-Master 2 was a significant horological achievement. Its Ring Command Bezel is notable, plus it was the world’s first watch with a programmable countdown timer.

“Programmable” in this case means that it can be set to count down from any number of minutes from 1-10. Here’s how it works:

Setting the Timer

To put the Rolex Yacht-Master II into “timer-setting mode,” simply rotate its bezel 90 degrees counterclockwise (left) until you hear a click, and then press the bottom pusher. Now, when you unscrew the crown and pull it to the time-setting position (“position 2”), it will adjust the red triangle-tipped regatta timer hand instead of the regular hands.

Simply advance it to the number of minutes you want to count down from, rotate the bezel back to its original orientation (you’ll hear the bottom pusher click), and screw the crown back in. Now you’re ready to activate the countdown timer.

Activating the Timer

The top pusher starts and stops the timer, and the bottom pusher resets it, just as you would expect a chronograph watch to function. But on the Rolex Yacht-Master II, when you reset it, the countdown timer hand goes back to the specified number of minutes you programmed earlier. And, because it’s a flyback chronograph, you don’t have to stop the timer before resetting it!

Adjusting the Countdown Timer

While the countdown timer is running, you can hit the bottom pusher to simultaneously both reset the chronograph seconds hand and nudge the countdown minute hand to the nearest minute. The “flyback/fly-forward” technology means that if less than 30 seconds have elapsed in the current minute, the hand will fly back; otherwise it will fly forward. The point of this is so that if you realize your timer is slightly off from an official race countdown timer, you can just hit the bottom pusher at the next whole minute.

How to Use the Regatta Timer on a 2nd-Gen Rolex Yacht-Master II

Using the regatta timer on a 2026 Rolex Yacht-Master II is much easier. When the timer is not in use, just hit the bottom pusher. That’s it. It will advance the chronograph minutes hand incrementally; just stop when it’s pointing at the number of minutes you want to count down from. The countdown minute and countdown seconds hands will move counterclockwise–something Rolex had never done before–which is a cool improvement too.

Aside from that, using the YM2 didn’t change from the first generation. Hitting the bottom pusher while the chronograph is running still resets the chronograph seconds hand and sends the chronograph minutes hand to the nearest whole minute.

Because the Ring Command function is no longer needed, this frees up the bezel to act as a regular rotating timing bezel on the 2nd-gen Yacht-Master II. Rolex marked 0-30 with hashes because the final 30 seconds of the pre-race countdown is so crucial.

Rolex Yacht-Master II Cost

Rolex’s current Yacht-Master II is listed at $57,800 in yellow gold and $20,300 in stainless steel. Even though the first-generation Rolex Yacht-Master II has been discontinued since 2024, it’s readily available on the secondhand market. A stainless steel one will cost you around $16,000 while the two-tone is worth just over $20,000. The original solid yellow gold YM2 sells for about $38,000 but the white gold one sells for significantly less–closer to $28,000. Newer models with Mercedes hands tend to sell for a little bit more than older ones, but condition is the most important thing.

Specs

Model Name	Rolex Yacht-Master II (1st gen)	Rolex Yacht-Master II (2nd gen)
Years Produced	2007-2024	2026+
Reference Numbers	116680 (Stainless Steel) 116681 (Everose Rolesor) 116688 (Yellow Gold) 116689 (White Gold with Platinum Bezel)	126680 (Stainless Steel) 126688 (Yellow Gold)
Case Size	Diameter: 44mm Thickness: 14mm Lug-to-Lug: 50mm	Diameter: 44mm Thickness: 14mm Lug-to-Lug: 50mm
Movement Caliber	Rolex 4160/4161 (Automatic, 8 beats per second)	Rolex 4162 (Automatic, 8 beats per second)
Movement Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, programmable regatta countdown timer (1–10 minutes) with mechanical memory, flyback/fly-forward synchronization	Hours, minutes, small seconds, programmable regatta countdown timer (1–10 minutes) with mechanical memory, flyback/fly-forward synchronization
Power Reserve	Approximately 72 hours	Approximately 72 hours
Water Resistance	100 meters	100 meters
Bracelet/Strap	Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock safety clasp and Easylink comfort extension link	Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock safety clasp and Easylink comfort extension link
MSRP (Final or current)	116680: $18,750 116681: $25,400 116688: $43,550 116689: $48,150	126680: $20,300 126688: $57,800

Gold Rolex Yacht-Master II Spotting

Celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg, Drake, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Connor MacGregor, and Guy Fieri have all been seen wearing the OG yellow gold Rolex Yacht-Master II. That makes sense, because it used to be the biggest gold Rolex of all time–until the Gold Rolex Deepsea took its place. That was one of Rolex’s 2024 releases. The white gold Yacht-Master II seems less popular among famous people and normies alike–although one is part of Roger Federer’s Rolex collection.

Whether you love or hate the Yacht-Master II, it’s a striking watch in real life. Watches that are somewhat unpopular in their day often end up being the most collectible later on, due to their relatively low production (like vintage Rolex Paul Newman Daytonas). And for that reason, I unironically think the 1st-gen Rolex Yacht-Master II is likely to be the hot vintage Rolex to own in 2042. We’ll see how the market responds to the 2nd-gen one.